Apparatus for manufacturing packaging units

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, having a horizontal conveyor installation for transferring separated products ( 14 ) to a portioning appliance ( 15 ) for manufacturing portion units ( 12 ) with a defined arrangement and number of products, and having a vertical conveyor installation ( 22 ) for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web ( 11 ), to a separating appliance for separating the packaging units, wherein the vertical conveyor installation has two parallel strap conveyors ( 34, 35 ), wherein a film take-off appliance ( 36 ), which delimits the conveying channel laterally, is arranged so as to be parallel to the strap conveyors, wherein the vertical conveyor installation ( 22 ) has a conveying channel setting appliance for setting the distance b between the conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to the conveying straps, and wherein the film take-off appliance ( 36 ) is provided with a setting appliance for setting the distance a 3  between the film take-off appliance and the vertical conveyor installation.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, having a horizontal conveyor installation for transferring separated products to a portioning appliance for manufacturing portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, and having a vertical conveyor installation for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web, to a separating appliance for separating the packaging units, wherein the vertical conveyor installation has two parallel strap conveyors, defining, with conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to circulating conveying straps, a conveying channel for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by the film web, wherein a film take-off appliance, which delimits the conveying channel laterally, is arranged so as to be parallel to the strap conveyors, said take-off appliance grasping film edges of the film web, which envelopes the portion units, and conveys the film web in a synchronous fashion with the portion units conveyed by the vertical conveyor installation.

Apparatuses of the type mentioned at the beginning allow for arranging a vertical conveyor installation after a portioning appliance in the vertical sense, wherein, in the region of the vertical conveyor installation, as the portion units manufactured in the portioning appliance are being continuously conveyed, they are simultaneously enveloped in a film web and normally film edges of the film web are also sealed for realizing a film tube receiving the portion units. For finishing portion packages receiving individual portion units, the only thing then left is to partition the film tube at points corresponding to the portion units carried along in the same.

Normally, manufacturing packaging units with which the film envelope rests against the products realizing the respective portion unit as tightly as possible is desirable. Moreover, the operations of enveloping the portion units and conveying the portion units are desired to be performed in a fashion as gentle on the product as possible.

The invention is therefore based on the task of proposing an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units allowing for manufacturing a clinging product package while conveying the packaged products in a fashion that is gentle on the products.

This task is solved by an apparatus having the features of claim 1.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention has a vertical conveyor installation, which has a conveying channel setting appliance for setting the distance b between the conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to the conveying straps, and a film take-off appliance having a setting appliance for setting the distance a₃ between the film take-off appliance and the vertical conveyor installation.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention, by the setting of the distance between the conveying straps of the vertical conveyor installation on the one hand and by the setting of the distance of the film take-off appliance relative to the vertical conveyor installation on the other hand, makes it possible to dimension the conveying channel exactly, with a corresponding adaptation of the conveying channel cross-section to the product conveyed through the conveying channel. Hereby it is ensured that it is made possible to manufacture a clinging outer product packaging without too intense pressure being exerted on the products by way of the conveying straps of the vertical conveyor installation or by way of the film take-off appliance acting on the portion units via the film web.

It is particularly advantageous if the conveying channel setting appliance has two axial infeed appliances which are arranged at a base frame of the vertical conveyor installation and each of which acts on a strap conveyor, and whose infeed axes are oriented so as to be parallel to the base frame. By procuring a base frame for arranging the axial infeed appliances, it can, on the one hand, be ensured that an aligned orientation of the conveying channel central axis with respect to a supply axis of the products defined by the positioning appliance, with respect to the vertical conveyor installation, is not influenced. On the other hand, the base frame can simultaneously be used for arranging the film take-off appliance, such that the vertical conveyor installation provided with the conveying channel setting appliance, in combination with the film take-off appliance, can be realized as a modular transport unit via the connection to the base frame, which transport unit can be combined via linking the base frame to a machine frame of the apparatus for manufacturing packaging units.

If, in accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the axial infeed appliances, for altering the distance of the strap conveyors, adjust the distance between driving axles of the strap conveyors, a particularly compact construction of the conveying channel setting appliance becomes possible.

If, for realizing the setting appliance of the film take-off appliance, the distance between take-off rollers, pertaining to the film take-off appliance and receiving the film edges of the film web between themselves, and the base frame of the vertical conveyor installation is adjustable, the setting appliances are in a decoupled state from each other, such that one setting axis for each of the two setting appliances is sufficient in each instance, and that the setting axes cannot influence each other.

If, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the setting appliance of the film take-off appliance has length adjustable brackets, which are connected to a regulating frame and arranged at the base frame, and which are provided with a take-off roller at their free end in each instance, wherein the distance between the regulating frame and the base frame is adjustable by means of an axial infeed appliance, a particularly compact construction of a transport unit comprising the vertical conveyor installation and the film take-off appliance can be achieved, being able to be combined with the machine framework of the packaging apparatus as a mounting module.

If the take-off rollers of the film take-off appliance are provided with a hitch setting appliance, which makes it possible to set an angle of hitch of roller axes of the take-off rollers relative to the horizontal level, it becomes possible to superpose a transverse force to the conveying direction with the propelling force transmitted onto the film web by the take-off rollers in a draw-in gap and acting in the conveying direction, such that, upon setting a suitable angle of hitch, a tensile force acts in the cross-section of the film web, provoking the film web to rest tightly against the portion unit, its size being settable via setting of the angle of hitch.

It is particularly advantageous if the hitch setting appliance has an actuator, which is arranged at the base frame, and which is connected, via a regulating shaft, to a pivoting appliance arranged at the take-off rollers and designated for pivoting the roller axis. In a preferred embodiment, the regulating shaft is realized as a cardan shaft.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units, comprising a transport unit having a vertical conveyor installation and a film take-off appliance;

FIG. 2 shows the vertical conveyor installation of the transport unit on its own;

FIG. 3 shows the transport unit illustrated in FIG. 1 in an isometric illustration;

FIG. 4 shows the transport unit illustrated in FIG. 3 in a side view;

FIG. 5 shows the transport module illustrated in FIG. 3 in a rear view;

FIGS. 6a,b show a schematic diagram of a hitch setting appliance.

FIG. 1 shows a packaging apparatus 10, which serves to manufacture packaging units not illustrated in more detail and comprising a portion unit 12, which is enveloped into a film web 11. The packaging apparatus 10, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, comprises a product conveying appliance 13, by means of which individual products 14 are conveyed to a portioning appliance 15, which, in the present case, has a circulating conveyor 16 having portion stops 18, 19, which are moved independently of each other in the conveying direction 17, and which are kinematically controlled in such a fashion that, in a transfer region between the product conveying appliance 13 and the portioning appliance 15, individual products 14, following one after another, are stacked on a front portion stop 18. Said front portion stop 18, during stacking, is moved forward in timed intervals in the conveying direction 17 of the circulating conveyor 16 until finally, after a defined stacking height has been attained, the rear portion stop 19 is advanced against the stacked portion unit 12, such that the portion unit 12 is received between the portion stops 18, 19 in a defined fashion.

For being transferred to a vertical conveyor installation 22 which is arranged below a transfer region 21, and which is only schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, the portion unit 12 passes a film web deflecting appliance 26, which has an inlet opening 28 arranged on a vertical enveloping axis 27, on the upper end of the film web deflecting appliance, and a film edge guide slot 29 on its lower end laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis 27.

As FIG. 1 shows, the film web deflecting appliance 26 serves to divert the film web 11 from a horizontal conveying track portion 30 into a vertical conveying track portion 31, wherein a film envelope 24 of the portion unit 12 is simultaneously realized by means of molding shoulders 32, 33 of the film web deflecting appliance 26, which shoulders delimit the inlet opening 28, and by means of the film edge guide slot 29.

As FIG. 1 shows in a schematic illustration, a film take-off appliance 36 is arranged so as to be parallel to the vertical conveyor installation 22. Said installation has two strap conveyors 34, 35 (see also FIGS. 2 and 3) which receive the portion unit 12 together with the film envelope 24 for enveloping the portion unit 12 between themselves. The film take-off appliance 36 has two pairs 37, 38 of take-off rollers which are arranged one above the other in the conveying direction 17, and which realize one draw-in gap 39 (FIG. 2) in each instance, through which a film edge 40 is transported in the conveying direction 17.

The vertical conveyor installation 22, together with the film take-off appliance 36, forms a transport unit 41, which makes sure that the film envelope 24 is synchronously conveyed together with the portion units 12 received therein.

FIG. 2 shows the transport unit 41 in a detailed illustration, with the vertical conveyor installation 22 and the film take-off appliance 36 arranged so as to be parallel to the vertical conveyor installation 22. A base frame 42 embodied as a mounting plate by way of example in FIG. 2 serves to arrange the vertical conveyor installation 22 and the film take-to off appliance 36 relative to each other, and also serves to connect the transport unit 41 to a machine frame not illustrated in more detail here and pertaining to the packaging apparatus 10.

For explaining the function and the construction of the vertical conveyor installation 22, reference initially is to be made to FIG. 3, which shows the vertical conveyor installation 22 on its own and before being linked to the base frame 42. The vertical conveyor installation 22 comprises, as it has already been remarked in the passages making reference to FIG. 1, two strap conveyors 34, 35 which are arranged so as to be parallel to each other, and each of which has one framework 43 as well as deflecting appliances 44, 45 arranged at the framework 43 for guiding strap arrangements 46, each of which, in the present case, comprises two conveying straps 47, 48 which are guided in a parallel fashion, and which are realized as toothed belts in the present case. The conveying straps 47, 48 are driven via a driving wheel 49 which is borne at the framework 43, and which, via a driving shaft 50, is connected to a drive motor 52 arranged at the end of a shaft housing 51.

For an exemplary design of a conveying channel setting appliance, which serves to set the distance b of conveying sides 61, 62 arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to the conveying straps 34, 35, the driving shafts 50 or the shaft housings 51 of the driving shafts 50, as it is illustrated in particular in FIG. 3, are received in regulating housings 54, which are arranged in a guide framework 55 on cross guides 56 and are therefore slidable on an infeed axis 23 running parallel to the base frame 42 (FIG. 2), in a transverse sense to driving axles 53 defined by the driving shafts 50 and pertaining to the strap conveyors 34, 35. An actuator 57 is linked to the guide framework 55, having a driving shaft 59 which is guided in a shaft housing 58, and which is driven by a drive motor 60 arranged at the end of the shaft housing 58. The driving shaft 59 acts, via a deflecting gear not illustrated in more detail here and arranged in the guide framework 55, on the actuating housings 54, which are synchronously advanced in opposite directions depending on the rotational direction of the driving shaft 59, such that the distance a_(l) between the driving axles 53 of the strap conveyors 34, 35 is either amplified or diminished.

As FIG. 3 shows, by way of the distance b of the conveying sides 61, 62 pertaining to the strap conveyors 34, 35 and facing each other, the width b of a conveying channel 63 realized between the strap conveyors is defined. Portion units 12 realized, for instance, as a product stack here are conveyed in the conveying channel 63, wherein, in the present case, for reasons of a simplified illustration, the film envelope 24 was not illustrated here. In any event, starting from the illustration in FIG. 3, it becomes clear that, by way of an adjustment in the distance a_(l) between the driving axles 53 of the strap conveyors 34, 35, as a consequence of a corresponding actuation of the actuator 57, it is made possible in a simple manner to adapt the width b of the conveying channel 63 to the respective dimensions of the products 14 intended for being conveyed in the conveying channel 63.

As it is illustrated in FIG. 3, linking faces 64, 65 of the guide framework 55 are provided with connection means 66, 67, which serve to link the guide framework 55 of the vertical conveyor installation 22 to the base frame 42, in such a manner that—as it is illustrated in FIG. 2—the guide framework 55 is connected to a rear side 68 of the base frame 42 realized as a mounting plate here. Here, the regulating housings 54 having the shaft housings 51 received therein are arranged in window openings 69 of the base frame 42.

As shown by FIG. 2 in particular, the vertical conveyor installation 22, in the transport unit 41, is combined with the film take-off appliance 36, which has two pairs 37, 38 of take-off rollers in each instance, which form the draw-in gap 39, into which—as it is illustrated in FIG. 1—the film edge 40 is drawn in such that the film envelope 24 is conveyed in the conveying direction 17, synchronously to the vertical conveyance of the portion units 12 in the conveying channel 63. Each of the individual take-off rollers 70 of the film take-off appliance 36 is driven via a driving shaft 71, wherein the two driving shafts 71 of a take-off roller pair 37, 38 are driven by a common drive motor 72 via a power divider 73. Each of the driving shafts 71 is situated in a shaft housing 74, which has been guided through a window opening 75 in the base frame 42 and is connected to a regulating frame 76, at which the drive motor 72 and the power divider 73 is arranged and which can be advanced in a parallel fashion relative to the base frame 42.

Hereunto, as shown by FIG. 4 in particular, an actuator 77 is arranged at the regulating frame 76 for realizing an axial infeed appliance, having a servomotor, which drives a regulating spindle 79, which engages with a spindle nut 80 arranged at the base frame 42 and sinks into a spindle housing 82 arranged on a front side 81 of the base frame 42. As it can be taken in particular from the illustration in FIG. 4, a drive of the regulating spindle 79 in one direction provokes distance a₂ between the regulating frame 76 and the base frame 42 to be enlarged and a rotation of the regulating spindle 79 in the opposite direction provokes the distance a₂ between the regulating frame 76 and the base frame 42 to be diminished. For instance, when reducing the distance a₂, which means when the regulating frame 76 is moved towards the base frame 42, a distance a₃ between the take-off rollers 70 of the film take-off appliance 36 and a conveying channel central axis 83 of the conveying channel 63 is adjusted.

In order to make it possible to slide the take-off rollers 70 relative to the base frame 42 correspondingly, the shaft housings 74 of the film take-off appliance 36, being constructed telescopically, are provided with an outer housing part 84 fixed relative to the base frame 42 and an inner housing part 85 axially slidable relative to the outer housing part and connected to a roller housing 86. As it can be taken in particular from FIGS. 2 and 4, each of the take-off rollers 70 is provided with a hitch setting appliance 87, which makes it possible to alter a roller axis 88 relative to the horizontal level 89 about an angle of hitch a (FIG. 6a ).

For explaining the principle and the effect connected thereto, reference is made to FIGS. 6a and 6b , wherein a take-off roller pair 37, 38, having the draw-in gap 39 defined by the take-off pair 37, 38, is illustrated. As shown by FIG. 6b in particular, the take-off rollers 70 rotate in opposite directions, drawing the film edge 40 into the draw-in gap 39. If the roller axes 88 of the take-off rollers 70 are inclined, as it is illustrated in FIG. 6a , an angle of hitch a is realized, which results in the take-off force Z transmitted onto the film edge 40 by the take-off rollers 70 being displaced in the direction illustrated in FIG. 6a , at the angle of hitch a, with the consequence that, aside from a vertical force component Z_(v), a horizontal force component Z_(H) arises, which provokes a corresponding transverse force or tensile force Z_(H) in the film envelope 24, with the consequence that the film envelope 24 rests more tightly against a portion unit 12, which is enveloped by the film envelope 24.

FIGS. 2 and 4 show the hitch setting appliance 87 having a regulating gear 92, which is driven by a servomotor 91 via a cardan shaft 90 in each instance, said servomotor being arranged on the rear side 68 of the base frame 42 in the region of a shaft feedthrough 93. The fact that the driving shaft is realized as a cardan shaft 90 between the servomotor 91 and the regulating gear 92 of the hitch setting appliance 87 makes it possible to slide regulating gears 92 arranged at the take-off roller 70 together with the take-off roller 70 relative to the base frame 42, wherein said sliding results in a corresponding adjustment in the hinge angles of the cardan shaft 90. 

1. An apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, having a horizontal conveyor installation for transferring separated products to a portioning appliance for manufacturing portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, said apparatus comprising: a vertical conveyor installation for conveying portion units enveloped by a film web, wherein the vertical conveyor installation has two parallel strap conveyors including circulating conveying straps with conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other, said conveying straps defining a conveying channel conveying the portion units enveloped by the film web; a film take-off appliance laterally delimiting the conveying channel is arranged so as to be parallel to the strap conveyors, said take-off appliance grasping film edges of said film web enveloping the portion units, said film edges being brought together in a film web deflecting appliance; a conveying channel setting appliance setting a distance b between the conveying sides; and a film take-off setting appliance setting a distance a₃ between the film take-off appliance and the vertical conveyor installation.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the conveying channel setting appliance has two axial infeed appliances arranged at a base frame of the vertical conveyor installation, each of said axial infeed appliances acts on a strap conveyor, and defines an infeed axis oriented so as to be parallel to the base frame.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which the axial infeed appliances, for altering the distance of the strap conveyors, adjust the distance a₁ between driving axles of the strap conveyors.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which the film take-off setting appliance adjusts a distance between take-off rollers of the film take-off appliance and the base frame of the vertical conveyor installation.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which the film take-off setting appliance has length adjustable brackets connected to a regulating frame and arranged at the base frame, said brackets are provided with a take-off roller at a free end of each bracket, wherein a distance between the regulating frame and the base frame is adjustable by at least one of the axial infeed appliances.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, in which the take-off rollers of the film take-off appliance are provided with a hitch setting appliance (87), which makes it possible to set an angle of hitch α of roller axes of the take-off rollers relative to a horizontal level.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, in which the hitch setting appliance has an actuator arranged at the base frame and connected via a regulating shaft to a pivoting appliance arranged at the take-off rollers and pivoting the roller axis.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, in which the regulating shaft is a cardan shaft. 